Summary:
Zip code 81419 in Hotchkiss, Colorado, is served by two schools—Hotchkiss Elementary School (pre-K through 8th grade) and North Fork High School (9th through 12th grade)—both part of the Delta County Joint District No. 50, a 4-star district ranked in the 69th percentile of Colorado districts. This means there is no standalone middle school; middle-grade students are housed within the elementary setting. Nearly half of all students in the zip code come from low-income households, with free/reduced lunch rates of 49.16% at the elementary and 45.28% at the high school.
North Fork High School is the clear standout. It graduates 94.2% of its students compared to 85.6% statewide, and its dropout rate is just 0.7%. The school outperforms the state in nearly every reported subject, particularly in reading and writing: 64% proficient on SAT Reading/Writing versus 60% statewide, 80% on PSAT10 Reading/Writing versus 65%, and 76% on PSAT9 Reading/Writing versus 66%. Math scores are above the state but less dominant. Science proficiency also improved dramatically, jumping from 19.4% to 29.2% and now exceeding both the district and state averages. North Fork High School ranks 115th out of 338 high schools in Colorado, placing it in the 66th percentile.
Hotchkiss Elementary School presents a more uneven picture. Its 8th graders are exceptionally strong—66.7% proficient in ELA and 61.9% in math, compared to state averages of 42.2% and 37.8% respectively. However, 5th grade science (12.1% proficient) and 6th grade math (20.6% proficient) lag well behind state averages. The school has improved year over year in all-grades ELA (45.5% to 51.4%) and math (31.4% to 35.6%). Chronic absenteeism is a concern at both schools, especially at Hotchkiss Elementary School, where 30.0% of students are chronically absent, above the state average of 28.4%. While the high school is clearly a district asset, the elementary school shows pockets of excellence alongside areas needing attention.
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